Load of Motherhood: An Indian Scene

I had never realized before the incidents I am going to describe that being a woman could be so much demanding and strenuous in the Indian society which used to show me all the promises, festivities, joys, and fun of getting married, especially to a man of own liking. It never occurred to me that my existence was the combined result of the relatives I was almost always surrounded with. More

My pregnancy was the topic of discussion in the entire locality, our neighborhood, and in almost every room in the big house of my in-laws where a big joint family lived in close proximity. Not only my pregnancy, but also each and every pregnancy resulting in the house drew almost equal attention, and the resulting shower of gossips, pieces of advice, tips for caretaking etc.

In the early days of my pregnancy it was a kind of fun, a shared joy, and a feeling of wholeness as a woman but now the time is over and the feelings have changed from expectation to anxiousness and fear.